Following Friday night’s home game that opened up the season for the women’s soccer team I asked head coach Brent Anderson about the recent coach’s poll that was conducted by the Great West Conference. The poll exposed that Utah Valley’s women soccer team was predicted to place first in the Great West Championship.
It seems to me that coaches never like to talk about that poll, which is conducted over the majority of athletics here on campus. Many reasons for this can be put into play, but Anderson describes it as added pressure from the other GWC teams. Pressure is everywhere throughout a season and the women’s soccer program already has enough. So instead, I want to write about a pressure that the student body should be putting on UVU.
The pressure needs to be raised from the fans and student body for UVU to accept and implement new bleachers at Utah Valley’s Clyde Field where the women’s soccer team puts on their show.
During Friday night’s game, I couldn’t help but notice a large number of the crowd was bleacher overflow scattered about the grass and anywhere else they could grab a seat, and this was against UTEP. This season the soccer team will play plenty of night games along with a game against in-state rival Utah State.
In June I talked with Matt Lefrandt, a former rugby player with UVU. During my interview with him, we got on the subject of playing fields for rugby. Although this would never happen, Legrandt talked about how remarkable it would be to play in a field as gorgeous as Clyde Field. I agree that Clyde Field is gorgeous, but the bleachers just need to match.
I remember first hearing talk of new bleachers last season, but no actions have been taken since.
“They had talked about it,” Anderson said. “I think maybe – I actually think we may have the funding. But I think we may have tried to get going on that too late.”
If the funding is there, then it’s my belief that the only other step that needs to be taken is a demand from the fans…a pressure.
Make it a positive pressure. There is no need to be pushy or protest. But I have seen the passion in some of the fans come out during the games. They cheer and support regardless of the situation or score. I’m confident that the passion can put the right pressure on the school.
“It would be good to see that,” Anderson said. “We are hoping that by next season we’ve got it. With the night games and everything, I think we will start to be pulling some pretty good sized crowds, especially for the in-state games.”
